Rubies And Pebbles
by EmilyTheStranger
Summary: Light is far above normal society, a prince. Ryuk is far below, a damned beast. Yet, love can bridge these gaps and bring together the most unlikely of couples, if it is allowed to thrive. With so many powerful oppositions, can love survive? RyukxLight AU
1. Gone

**Rubies and Pebbles **

The streets wove through the city of Cælum like an immense labyrinth, filled with people trying to get home. Carts loaded with the bales of crops from the harvest clunked dully on the cobblestones as they were pulled along by sluggish horses and wicker baskets filled with food and clothes were clasped in almost every hand. The sun was slowly dipping below the cluttered horizon line, and in the East the sky was already the color of ink. The only place still in full sunlight was the castle, which sat perched atop a hill like some proud bird, flaunting its glorious plumage to those who would never posses it. No commoner even bothered to spare it a glance anymore because all it ever served to do was mock them shamelessly with its glory. It was the most lavish place in the continent, and it would serve to be paradise to any who were lucky enough to reside within the great walls. Yet it was widely known that Light, the prince of Cælum, was unsatisfied with all the good fortune he had. Nightly he would sneak away into the darkness and mix himself with those below his class, just to feel the supremacy that came with knowing you are above others.

--

"Will you be dining with the king and queen this evening, sir?" Teru asked politely as he swiftly gathered the dirty clothes from the floor of the room.

"No." Light said shortly, looking out the window absentmindedly. "I think I'll stay in my room. Please bring up my meal." Teru nodded and strode briskly from the room to carry out his instructions. Once Teru's footsteps could no longer be heard, Light rose from his seat and walked out into the hall, checking to make sure he was alone. He then hurried to the staircase and rushed down, flying through the castle with power not suited to his delicate form. When he reached the main doors in the atrium, he opened them just wide enough for him to slip through and dashed off, unseen, into the night.

--

The music was scrambled and feverish, and the people were twirling in a wild interpretation of ballroom, their clothes as dirty and ragged as they were. Bodies touched in ways that were indecent while the sun still shone, but in the dark, the city was alive with raw fever and the desire for contact. People who wouldn't even share a glance during the day were drinking cheap ale and laughing drunkenly while others were passed out against the wall, draped over each other like cloth.

Light had thrown himself into a crowd of people dancing gaily and was now dancing just as they were, while silently condemning their common indecencies. He knew he would not be recognized by the people around him, who, in their drunken stupors, would not have recognized their own mothers. Light smirked at this, enjoying the superiority he felt at being the only sober one in the room. He was about to move to a different, larger crowd that had assembled in the opposite corner when he felt a hand clench around his arm. He jumped, fearing that if he turned to look he would see the face of a castle guard, come to retrieve him as they did every night. But when he looked, it was only a harlot looking for one more client. For reasons unknown to himself, he allowed her to pull him off into the dimly lit alley behind the building.

She was already removing her top when they stopped walking, but Light wasn't interested. Something felt quite off about the entire situation to him. He paced around the narrow alley looking for whatever was amiss, but found nothing. He looked back to the prostitute, who was now working on untying her skirt.

"Stop." Light said sharply. "What is your name, harlot?" She looked up at him with quizzical brown eyes.

"…Shiori." She said hesitantly. "My name is Shiori." Light looked at her skeptically.

"Don't lie to me. You're from the castle, aren't you? I recognize your face."

"What? No!" She said, her voice raising an octave. "I live on the streets!" Light narrowed his eyes.

"Tell me your real name." The girl looked at him fearfully and stuttered,

"K-Kiyomi. Kiyomi Takada." Light nodded.

"And where are the guards who sent you to get me, Kiyomi?" He asked, his voice menacing in its poise.

She swallowed and made a subtle gesture to the door on the other end of the alley. "They're waiting for you there. I'm supposed to say a trigger word so they'll come out when you least expect it." There was silence in the alley for a moment, as they looked at each other, trying to read the other's thoughts. Suddenly Kiyomi opened her mouth and yelled to the guards, grabbing Light's arm to delay his escape attempt. The door slammed open and three heavyset men ran to Light and grabbed him, their fingers pushing against his skin with inhuman pressure. A smaller figure emerged from the door and walked slowly towards the crowd of people before him. He stepped into the light from the gas lamp above the door, revealing a sickly pale face behind a curtain of messy black hair. There were large black bags beneath his eyes, as though he hadn't slept in ages, and his feet were bare and covered in the mud of the streets.

"You really shouldn't run away like that, Prince Light." He said simply. "You make your parents very worried." He brought his thumb up to his mouth and chewed thoughtfully on the nail. "Something bad could happen." He looked over his shoulder at Kiyomi, who was struggling to put her shirt back on. "Very nice work, Miss Takada. Let's go home now." He gestured for the guards to follow him and began walking towards the castle.

"My name is L." Said the smaller man, hunching over as he walked. "I'm the chief guard at the castle. You know, whenever you run away like that, I have to get up to tell my guards to go find you. It's not very nice of you to make me work in the middle of the night." Light glared at him.

"Then don't make them find me. I'll come back in the morning." He spat. L looked at him absently, putting his thumb back up to his mouth.

"I have to find you. Royal orders. I thought I'd come along to get you tonight so I could tell you how horribly inconvenient it is for you to be disappearing all the time." Light sneered.

"Maybe if they let me go places during the day, I wouldn't have to sneak out at night." L shrugged.

"Not my decision." They spent the remainder of the walk in silence, watching the sun rise slowly over the turrets of the castle. Light grinned triumphantly at the fact that he had managed to stay out all night this time, even if a good portion of the night had been spent with his captors.

"Oh yes, one more thing before we let you go. Your parents would like to see you at breakfast today." L said opening the main gates and gesturing to the guards to go inside. "You should get going now if you plan to be in the dining hall on time." Light nodded begrudgingly as the guards released him.

"I'm going, don't worry about it." He groaned and sulked inside.

**AN: There is plot in the near future. Stay tuned. I promise it's coming. **


	2. Dread the Sunset

"_What?!" _Light shrieked, his voice cracking as he bolted up from his chair. He slammed his palms against the table to steady himself in his disbelief and stared at his parents with horrified eyes, but the only stared back calmly. Light, not pleased with their lack of reaction to his terror, repeated himself. _"What?!" _His parents shook their heads and sighed.

"Light, we told you this was going to happen. We've been telling you it was going to happen every year since you turned thirteen." His mother said.

"Yeah, but…" Light stuttered angrily. "You never said it would be so soon." His parents merely ignored him.

"The Princess shall be arriving at nightfall tomorrow. Be in the proper attire to greet her." Light glared at his parents and stormed melodramatically from the room.

--

"Teru! Bring me my dinner! Now!" Light screamed, pounding his fists on the bed he was sitting on. "I swear, could you work _any_ slower?!" Teru sprinted into the room, arms loaded with cluttering dishes and cups.

"Sir, are you sure this is all you want this evening?" He asked breathlessly as he placed the trays on the bed. Light nodded and began throwing the covers across the room and ravenously attacking the food in front of him. Teru was confused to say the least, and also a bit concerned, because said food was all desserts. Light had ordered nothing but cakes and candies to be sent up, a drastic change from his normal obsessively healthy eating.

"Sir, is something… wrong? All this… 'Comfort Food' you're eating makes me wonder if anything has happened." Light looked at him, his mouth full of chocolate, and sniffled sadly. He swallowed and looked at Teru with heartbroken eyes.

"My parents are…" He raised a hand to his forehead in hopes to add to the drama. "They're making me get married!"

"Oh, Sir. I offer my condolences, but I am sure that the lucky girl will make a charming wife. Who is she, anyways?"

"The Princess Misa Amane."Light said sadly. Teru bit his bottom lip and shook his head.

"Oh, Sir, I am _so_ sorry." He placed a comforting hand on the prince's shoulder and sighed. "I mean _really, really, sorry_."

--

The sun was falling ever-closer to the West, and Light's heart sunk in unison with it. Once the sun dipped below the horizon, the carriage carrying his future wife would come rolling up the street and he would have to face his destiny. He couldn't even begin imagine what it would be like to bend down and kiss the regal hand of the woman who had come to ruin his life, much less to place a ring on her finger. His parents had graciously supplied him with the ring necessary to destroy all his hopes and dreams, so he held it in his hands, passing it back and 

forth, anxiously waiting for the sun to set. As he was repeating this motion for what must have been the hundredth time, Teru came into the room.

"Your parents wish you to be downstairs in an hour, fully dressed." He bowed as he backed out of the room, and as he passed a small end-table, surreptitiously placed a large brass key upon it. "Good night, sir."

When Teru was gone, Light walked over to the key and picked it up, examining it. It was tarnished and ugly, much unlike any keys to the rooms of the castle that the upper class inhabited. No, it was much more like the key to… a servant's room.

"Oh, God bless you, Teru." He said, cradling the key to his chest like an infant. He had a means of escape.

--

Just before the sun twilight, Light crept from his room in his most ragged clothes and slipped down the hall to the servant's stairwell. He slid the key into the lock and rushed inside, shutting the door quietly behind him. The stairs were rickety wooden planks, winding down to the basement where the servants were housed. Light carefully walked down each stair, gripping the railing like a lifeline as he went. When he finally reached the bottom, he saw a small wooden door on the wall, which he proceeded to enter.

The dirt floors were covered with clothes, blankets, and plates; and the beds were all empty. Light walked slowly through, taking great care not to step on anyone's belongings. He knew there was a door that opened to the streets somewhere in the servant's quarters, but now it was just a question of where. It was so dark, he couldn't see much beyond a five foot radius, but he began to feel along the walls for an exit. Finally, he felt wood beneath his fingers and pushed, squinting as the light from the gas lamps outside illuminated the room with a dull glow.

Once he was outside, he ran down the street and ducked into a tavern where he could watch for the princess' carriage. Once it arrived, he would make his way to the other end of town. He backed into a shadowy corner and sat down, idly watching the city turn to darkness.

**AN: Oh, that sneaky Light. Reviews are appreciated greatly. **


	3. Captives of Life

Ryuk hunched over, hoping to disguise his height, and looked at the world from under the shadows of his hood. He knew he wasn't supposed to be here, but the lure of human civilization was too great for him to resist. They had buildings as high as the heavens and wonderful technologies of which Shinigami could only dream. And their apples! Human farmers had developed a way to harvest the fruits that left them sweet and juicy without sacrificing the crispness, and that alone was enough to keep Ryuk coming back.

Luckily, he hadn't yet been caught on one of his excursions to human territory, as it would result in his eternal servitude or death. In the kingdom to the East, Shinigami were used as slaves and unpaid soldiers, which didn't provide much comfort, but it was certainly a preferable alternative to the West, where any Shinigami found within the realm were immediately thrown to the front of Death Row, no questions asked.

Ryuk, in a moment devoid of common sense, had decided to venture West that evening in hopes of finding something different to do. This being his first time heading that direction, he had decided to keep himself hidden at all times and donned a burlap cloak to hide his face and shape. By the time he had crossed the deserts of the Shinigami realm and the forest on the border, night had fallen, providing much needed cover from prying human eyes. Much to his disappointment, when he arrived in Cælum, it was raining fiercely and all the vendors in the market had packed up their goods and headed home for the night. He resigned himself to sitting in a tavern and waiting for the dawn to break.

--

There was a knock at the door to the royal chambers at approximately 6:00 that evening, just as the sun went down.

"It's L, your highness. I have some news concerning your son." The door was opened by a servant and L walked in wearily. The king and queen, who were sitting at the table having tea, looked up at him with a polite curiosity.

"Good news, I hope?" the queen said delicately, taking a sip from her teacup. L pondered over the nature of his announcement for a moment before shaking his head.

"No, not really." He said, bringing his thumbnail into his mouth. "We think he ran away." The queen choked on her tea and the king dropped his saucer to the floor, smashing it. He sprang up from his chair and slammed his hands on the table.

"_WHAT?!"_ He roared, the veins in his head popping with fury. "He _WHAT_?!"

"He ran away, we think. We certainly can't find him in the castle." The queen stood up and placed a hand on her husband's shoulder to calm him. He took a deep breath and steadied himself before speaking again.

"Go look outside the castle. Search the entire kingdom. Now!" L nodded his understanding and left the room to assemble his men.

--

Light was still sitting at the table by the window when the princess' carriage rolled by. He couldn't see inside, but he knew by the lavish decorations adorning it and the uniforms worn by 

the coachmen that it was her. He stood up and began to ponder over where he would go once he left. He unrolled a small map he had in his pocket and began to slowly trace a route with his finger.

"Past the apothecary and down the road to the church…" He mumbled to himself. "Right at the inn and then go straight until I hit the cemetery..."

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a light tap on his shoulder.

"Hello, Light." Said a soft voice behind him. He whipped his head around and came face to face with L. "I thought we just went over this yesterday." The guard continued quietly as his men formed a circle around Light. "You can't run away like that anymore." He stepped back and allowed his guards to take Light roughly by the arms.

"Stop it! Let go of me!" Light hissed, his voice a bit louder than he intended. Everyone in the tavern turned to watch the small scene unfolding in the corner. "Get off!" Light yelled, struggling against the grasp to no avail. "Help!"

--

Ryuk watched the scene with concern. He didn't know if there was any cause behind the soldiers grabbing this boy and trying to drag him outside, but even if there was, they were being quite horrible. He stood up from his seat at the bar and walked over to where the boy and his captors were.

"What are you doing that for?" He asked, shifting about on his feet a bit. The small, frail looking man who appeared to be giving the orders looked at Ryuk and cocked his head to the side. He had his thumb in his mouth and slouched like a beggar.

"That's not really any of your concern." He said, not rudely, but just stating it like a fact. Ryuk frowned under his hood.

"You've got some nerve." He growled. The other man chewed on his thumbnail pensively.

"I guess you could say that." Ryuk scowled and looked over at the boy. He was still struggling, but he looked weary and beaten. There were red marks showing under the guards' large hands and there were some bruises appearing where they had first grabbed him. Now, Ryuk was a rather tolerant person, but the one thing he could not stand to see was senseless violence. Seeing this poor boy in the clothes more ratty than his own being grabbed and abused for no reason made him bubble with anger, which was quickly prodded into rage by the impassiveness of the hunching man before him.

He reached out and grabbed the man in front of him, tossing him to floor. He then pried the guards off of the boy, their grips weakened by the shock of seeing their leader beaten. They forgot their target and ran to help their captain up, and Ryuk took the chance to grab the weakened boy and run.

--

They ran until they reached the edge of the forest, where they sat down against a tree. Ryuk took a moment to catch his breath before introducing himself.

"My name's Ryuk. You?"

"Li— Roger." He said, quickly, stumbling a bit as he realized that he, as a prince, was probably the only one in the kingdom with a name like 'Light'. "My name is Roger." He repeated, smiling weakly. "Thanks for the help back there, but I probably could have gotten out by myself." Ryuk raised an eyebrow.

"Of course you could have." He said sarcastically. Light glared at him and turned his mouth down into a scowl.

"Don't doubt my strength, beggar." He spat. Ryuk looked at him cynically.

"You're hardly in a position to be calling me beggar. Your clothes are more tattered than mine and you don't look like you have any money on you, _Roger._"

"Oh, what now?! You want to make fun of my name? Well go ahead! See if I care!" He said huffily, turning his back to Ryuk.

"I would, believe me _I would, _but I don't know your name." Light looked at him questioningly.

"Roger? Remember? My name?" Ryuk laughed bitterly.

"I know when someone is lying. We're not as stupid as you think we are." Light raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean, _we?_" He asked, smiling deviously.

"Nothing!" Ryuk exclaimed hurriedly. "It was nothing!"

They both sat there for a moment, looking at each other curiously. They were both aware that the other was lying to them, but there was a question of how to get them to tell the truth without having to reveal their own secrets.

"Light?" Ryuk said, mercifully breaking the uncomfortable silence. "If you tell me what you're hiding, I'll tell you what I'm hiding." Light pondered over this for a moment.

"Okay, as long as you promise not to get scared or anything like that." He said. Ryuk nodded and gestured for him to go on.

"Oh, I have to go first?" He said nervously. "Well, okay… I guess. I mean, if you take into account that you suggested it, it just sort of seems like—"

"Hey." Ryuk interrupted.

"Yes?"

"Shut up and tell me."

"Oh, yeah, okay. Well, you see, my name isn't actually Roger."

"No shit."

"Shut up. Anyways, my real name is Light Yagami." He said, and turned his head away for the dramatic effect. After a few seconds of not having heard a gasp, he peeked back at Ryuk out of the corner of his eye. He was just sitting there, seemingly unfazed. Light turned back around.

"Light Yagami." He repeated, just to make sure he had been heard right. "Light _Yagami. _You know." Ryuk frowned at him, looking concerned.

"Am I supposed to?" He asked.

"Well, yes! You are supposed to know the name Light Yagami! Who doesn't know the name of their own goddamn prince?!" He groaned and put his head in his hands. This time, he heard Ryuk stumble a bit on his words and gasp.

"_Prince?_ Well, uh… wow. That was unexpected, to say the least. I was kinda hoping you'd just be a mass murder or something. Ah, crap." Light smiled under his hands, happy to have caused a stir.

"Well, a deal's a deal." He said smugly. "Your turn." Ryuk looked at him despairingly under his hood. Because of the hood, however, his silent plea remained unseen.

"Fine…" he said, taking the hood in his hand and pulling it back, revealing his face. "Now you know." He let the moonlight hit him, illuminating his strange features. There was an eerie glow to his eyes in the dim, mottled forest light, and his teeth glinted like razors. Light choked on his own breath and shot up from his seat on the grass.

"Oh God." He said weakly. "You're _really_ not supposed to be here." He looked at Ryuk nervously. "Really. You should go now." Ryuk looked at him, a bit hurt. Light, realizing how he had sounded, tried to clarify.

"I mean, I don't care. No! No, I like Shinigami! But uh, my parents aren't very good about that and there's the whole death penalty thing and… you should go now." Ryuk sighed and nodded.

"Well, goodbye then, Light." He said, and turned to go into the forest.

"Wait!" Light called. "It was nice to talk to you. Not many people want to talk to me. Maybe I could…"

"See you again?" Ryuk finished hopefully. Light nodded unsurely.

"If that's okay with you." Ryuk smiled a bit.

"I understand. Not many people want to talk to me, either. I'll see you soon." With that, he opened his wings and flew out of sight.

**AN: Cheesier than France, I know. Reviews, as always, are much appreciated. **


	4. Incense and Hatred

"_Where the hell were you?!" _Light's father bellowed, advancing menacingly towards his son. "You could have ruined _everything!_" Light stayed silent, knowing better than to further antagonize his already enraged father. "Go apologize to Miss Amane this _instant!" _He yelled, shoving Light out the door and into the hallway.

Light looked miserably down the hall at the ornate door to Misa's chambers. He didn't feel all that bad about abandoning her and crushing her dreams of a happy marriage, but he hated to make his parents upset. He sometimes forgot to remember the 'cause and effect' theory before he acted, thinking only of the immediate reaction. If he had known how angry his family would be, he never would have left. Still, he had met Ryuk, which was an upside, although "You lost the trust of your family but gained a secret friend" was not a good source of optimism for him. He sighed bitterly at this and started the grim walk to his fate.

--

The furnishings in the guest rooms had been stripped of their lavish Western linens and replaced with the finest silks and organza of the East by Misa's entourage, and where there had once been beautiful clay sculptures of mythological heroes now were decorated by Ming vases and Jade ornaments. Light was shocked, to say the least, at the complete overhaul of the furnishings, but managed to hide how uncomfortable he felt in the unfamiliar surroundings. He was greeted at the entrance to the princess' personal sitting room by a man wearing clothes far more luxurious than his own, although he was only a butler.

"Excuse me, sir, but is the princess available?" He asked politely. The man looked at him with undisguised contempt and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Oh, so _now _you want to see her, _your highness._" The butler sneered, flicking his blond hair from his eyes. "Well I'm afraid she's a bit _busy_, just like you apparently were last night." He said with false courtesy and sickening smile dripping with malice. "You'll have to come back later." Light narrowed his eyes threateningly and made a move towards the man.

"Don't speak to me in such an impudent tone, butler." He growled, subconsciously balling his hands into fists at his sides.

"Oh, I'm _terribly sorry." _He said impertinently. They stood in a silent face-off for almost a minute before another butler entered the room.

"I take it you are Light Yagami?" The new man said delicately. Light nodded and turned his back to the man he had been previously speaking to.

"Yes, I am, and this man refuses to let me see my fiancé." He said impatiently.

"I'm sorry," said the other man. "He shouldn't be doing that. Please let him through, Mello." The two butlers looked at each other, one furious and one deadpan, until the one named Mello finally moved from his position at the door.

"You're such a douche, Near." He spat. Light, not willing to trifle in the personal affairs of servants, quickly strode inside.

--

The room was thick with the scent of incense and lit only by a few dull, dripping candles on brass dishes placed on the mahogany tables. Every available surface was draped with several colors and patterns of silk, and it even hung from the ceilings like cobwebs. He could hear the distant thud of a sitar somewhere beyond his vision, and there was a rustling as people moved about in some far off corner.

"Princess? It's Light. I'm here to apologize." He said hazily, not sure in which direction to speak. He stood there alone for only a moment before several women dressed in the same silk that was all around him came up and took him by the shoulder, pulling him off into the haze

--

He was pushed into a room, furnished in the same manner as the other, but brighter. He could see a bed in the corner draped with silk, and on that bed sat a woman's form, only a dull silhouette in the haze. She appeared to be eating grapes, gently plucking them off the stem that she held delicately in her hand and feeding them to herself carefully. She was rather nice to look at through the fog, although he knew his reaction to her would be decidedly less pleasant once they had talked for a while.

"Excuse me, princess…" He began softly, not wanting to startle her. He saw her head turn and she stood up, approaching him. As she came closer, Light could see her more clearly, and her features began to define themselves. She had large blue eyes, uncommon for anyone from the East, a pert nose, and lips like the petals of a rose. Her hair was an exotic golden tone seen mostly in the South, and her body was small and lithe. Light hated her at first sight.

"Yes?" She said sweetly, her voice like the strum of an angel's harp.

"My name is Light Yagami. I'm sorry about yesterday." He said flatly, choking on the incense.

"Oh. Well, it's okay." She said thoughtfully. "Although I suppose I was a good deal upset at the time. Yep, my feelings were quite hurt." She said, trying to act modest. "Quite hurt indeed." She said again, obviously expecting more pity.

"Well, uh, sorry about that, then." Light said, a bit confused. There was an uncomfortable silence that lasted a good three minutes before Light finally remembered what he had to do.

"Do you want your ring?" He said conversationally. Misa squealed and jumped towards him.

"Yes!" She said, holding out her hand for him. She wiggled her ring finger hopefully and squeezed her eyes shut. Light looked at the hand curiously before turning it over and placing the ring on her palm.

"There you go, then. See you at dinner." He said, and he fled from the room.

**AN: They're both idiots. Review whoring goes here.**


	5. Dreams and Nightmares

"I think there have certainly been better first impressions made, but at least you met her." Teru said as he dusted. Light nodded absently from his seat by the fireplace.

"I don't really blame her for it… maybe she was startled by me. I'll give her another chance." He said. Teru looked over, confused.

"I meant you, sir. You made a less than admirable appearance." Light chose to ignore that comment and turned back to the fire burning steadily in the fireplace. Teru merely shrugged and continued his dusting. He strolled leisurely throughout the chambers, flicking the feather-duster at the furniture every now and again, refusing to leave even though his work was done. He caroused towards the window with the intent of pretend to dust the ledge, humming as he went. He bent down and swept imaginary dust from the oak and then went at it with the duster, just to be sure.

Light sighed and sunk into the velvet armchair, wishing it would just absorb him entirely so he would never have to face the morning. He shut his eyes and visualized a paradise. There were rolling hills covered with lush green grass. Daisies infested the hillsides, clinging to almost every inch of land. There was a pond, he thought, yes, a pond filled with fuzzy baby ducklings, swimming along in little fuzzy flocks. As they floated about, looking brightly around and fluttering their tiny wings, they were screaming. Ah, such screams. Light paused in his reverie. They were screaming? Why were they screaming? And furthermore, why were they screaming in a crazed male's voice? Light began to get an inkling that that wasn't the ducks screaming. No, it was… Teru?

"God _damn it_, Teru! Shut up!" He yelled, exasperated beyond belief. Teru spun around and ran to the chair in which Light sat.

"There's something out there!" Teru cried, almost in tears from his terror. He pointed a trembling finger at the window. "_It was looking inside!" _He hissed, clutching Light's shoulder. Light furrowed his brow curiously.

"_Something_, you said. Not some_one_?" He asked. Teru nodded.

"It wasn't human, sir!" he wailed, his grip on Light's shoulder growing tighter. "It was like some sort of demon!" Light nodded and peeled Teru off of him.

"Describe it to me." He said coolly.

"Big yellow eyes…" He muttered, wringing his hands nervously. "Huge teeth… like a shark, almost. And his skin was like a corpse… it was terrible, sir! Absolutely horrific!" He put his head in his hands and fled from the room.

Light groaned and walked to the window, flinging it open and sticking his head out. "Ryuk! What the hell?!" He shouted, looking around for his new friend. The Shinigami emerged bashfully from under the window.

"Hi." He said, smiling weakly at Light's irritated expression. Light sighed, annoyed, and stepped back from the window.

"Come inside, Ryuk." He said. "I think we need to lay down some rules."

--

"First rule." Light began. "No coming to the castle without my explicit permission. It's too dangerous for both of us. Second rule. If you want to see me, send word through my servant, Teru. I trust him to keep our secret safe. He's in the market every Monday and Thursday at about noon. I will do the same for seeing you." Ryuk nodded slowly repeating the rules to himself.

"Got it." He said. Light nodded absent-mindedly and looked pensive.

"That's all the rules for now, but I'll probably think of more later. Now I'm going to introduce you to Teru." He walked over to the door and pulled on a little string hanging from the wall. "He'll be up soon." They sat in opposite corners of the room, looking at each other thoughtfully. A knock on the door broke the silence.

"You rang for me, sir?" called a voice from the other side of the door. "Is it about that thing I saw? Are you okay?"

"Just come in, Teru." Light said wearily. "You'll see." The door opened slowly and Teru appeared on the threshold. He looked at Light and then his gaze wandered to the other corner, where Ryuk sat.

"_IT'S THE THING!"_ He shrieked, backing away quickly. _"Sir! It's the _thing_!" _His eyes were filed with fear and he seemed to be trying to leave.

"The _thing_?" Ryuk asked Light, a bit offended. Light brushed him off and looked over to Teru.

"Calm down, Teru." He said. It had no effect on the servant, who had stopped yelling but was still pointing and making wild gestures. "_Calm down!" _He repeated, this time with more force. Teru obliged and leaned against the doorframe to catch his breath.

"Sit down, Teru. It's a long story."

--

Teru looked thoughtfully at Light, and then at Ryuk. He drew in a deep breath and folded his hands over his lap, lost for words.

"Well," he began, nodding slowly. "That was unexpected, to say the least." Light sighed.

"I know." He stood up and walked over to the window, opening it. "Ryuk, you should go." Ryuk nodded.

"Bye, then." He said, shrugging as he flew out of the window and into the darkness. Teru stood up and leaned out the window, looking at the vague outline of his new acquaintance until he disappeared.

"Sir, this isn't very safe." He remarked, closing the window. "If you got caught you'd be…" his voice trailed off and he looked forlornly out at the kingdom.

"Banished." Light finished. Teru nodded and took Light's arm, leading him away from the window.

"You should go to sleep now, sir. It's very late." He pushed him down onto the bed gently and placed his nightclothes on the bedside table. Light yawned and began to undress as Teru left, both thinking about Ryuk. Light wondered how he could keep him a secret, drawing plans in his mind of escape routes and secret meeting places. Teru wondering why he still thought that the Shinigami had more sinister plans than friendship; wondering why he saw images of Light getting hurt by the monster he had invited into his life. He thought about it as he lay in his bed that night, and the image of Light, bloodied and dead in an alley, haunted his dreams.

**AN: Sorry for the delay, and sorry it's so short. Reviews are appreciated greatly.**


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